1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments disclosed herein relate a robot system, a robot apparatus, and a method for picking a workpiece.
2. Discussion of the Background
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-316716 discloses an object processor for use in a robot system in which conveyors or similar devices convey workpieces and robots hold the workpieces to transfer the workpieces to another place.
The object processor includes first and second conveyors and first and second robots. The first and second conveyors convey objects in the same direction. The two robots transfer the objects from the first conveyor to the second conveyor.
Specifically, the first conveyor first conveys a random mixture of different kinds of workpieces. From among the different kinds of workpieces, the first robot holds a first kind of workpieces, one at a time in the order that the first kind of workpieces are conveyed; picks the first kind of workpieces from the first conveyor; and transfers the first kind of workpieces to the second conveyor.
At the downstream area of the first robot, the second robot holds a second kind of workpieces, from among the different kinds of workpieces, that are intended to be combined with the first kind of workpieces in the order that the second kind of workpieces are conveyed; picks the second kind of workpieces from the first conveyor; transfers the second kind of workpieces to the second conveyor; and combines the second kind of workpieces with the first kind of workpieces.